Clinker cooling



May 8, 1945.

R. c. NEwHousE,

CLINKER COOLING Filed Aug. 11, 41941 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 May 8, 1945. R. c. NEwHousE CLINKER COOLING A 2 Sheets-SheerI 2 Filed Aug. 11, 1941 Mmc.

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mo/uwe@ Patented May 8, 1945 cuNKER COOLING Ray C. Newhouse, Wauwatosa, Wis., assigner to Allis-Chalmers Manufacturing Company, Milwaukee, Wis., a corporation ot Delaware Application August '11, 1941, Serial No. 406,337

13 Claims. (Cl. 263-44) This invention relates generally to the cooling of nodular material which has been heated to a relatively high temperature by roasting, calcining and similar heating operations and more particularly to a method of and apparatus for more uniformly cooling the different sized nodules normally present in masses of such material.

The cooling of the cement clinker discharged froma. kiln, which is illustrative of one application o1' this invention, is usually accomplished by conducting the mass of hot clinker in heat exchanging relation with respect to a suitable cooling fluid such as air. The rotary and grate types of coolers are most commonly employed in this connection, and one installation is known in which the hot clinker passes through ap rotary cooler, then through a crusher and intoanother cooler for further reducing the temperature of the crushed mass. The clinker particles vary materially in size and in most instances the interior of the large or oversize particles will still be red hot when the mass of clinker is discharged from the flrst cooler, Moreover, the proportion of large particles is usually considerable, and consequently, the crushed clinker passing into the second cooler is still relatively hot and requires a large quantity of cooling air in order to effect the necessary reduction in the temperature of the crushed mass. In fact, the proportion of large particles is in many instances suiicient to require the use of as much or more air in the second cooler than is required in the rst cooler.

The use of a second cooler materially increases the initial and operating costs and necessitates a larger space for installation and operation, which further increases the initial cost. Moreover, passage of the entire mass of clinker through the crusher necessitates the use of a much larger crusher than would be necessary if only the large or oversized particles were passed through the crusher which additionally increases the initial andl operating costs. Furthermore, the cooling air used in the second cooler, which is heated to a relatively high temperature, cannot be efllciently used in the kiln since the quantity of air used in the rst cooler is in most instances more than sufdcient for combustion requirements. Consequently. the heated air discharged from the second cooler cannot be elciently utilized in the usual kiln and cooler arrangement,

In accordance with this invention, the initial and operating costs are materially reduced and the overall efficiency is materially increased by crushing only the large or oversized nodules and troni the kiln and the small nodules discharged from the crusher with a minimum quantity of cooling air. In this connection, it has been established that the air used in the rst cooler of the previously mentioned known arrangement employing two coolers disposed in series ilow relation andA in the known, arrangement employing only a single cooler is usually sufficient to eilect the necessary reduction in the temperature of the entire mass of clinker discharged from the kiln if the clinker particles are relatively small and of uniform size and that the best results can be obtained with existing installations employing two coolers arranged in series flow relation byreducing the air passing through the first cooler to a quantity commensurate with combustion requirements, separating the large and oversize nodules from the smaller nodules as they leave the second cooler, passing only the large or oversize nodules through the crusher, and then passing the crushed and the previously cooled nodules into the second cooler. This procedure permits adequate cooling of the clinker with a minimum quantity of air and the use of a smaller crusher which reduces the initial and operating costs and increases the overall eiciency to a material extent.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide an improved procedure for more uniformly cooling nodular material containing different sized nodules.

Another object of this invention is to provide an improved apparatus for eiiiciently carrying out the above mentioned method.

Still another object of this invention is to provide an improved apparatus for efliciently carrying out the above mentioned method in a single cooler.

The invention accordingly consists of the various methods and of the various features of construction, arrangements of parts, and combinations of elements as more particularly set forth in the appended claims and in the detailed description, in which:

Fig. 1 illustrates a grade typeclinker cooler arrangement embodying the invention; and

Fig. 2 illustrates a modified arrangement which also embodies the invention,

Referring to the drawings and particularly to y Fig. l, it is seen that the apparatus for carrying out the invention may compromise a, kiln l arranged to discharge the clinker onto the adjacent end of an elongated grate 2 which is enclosed in a housing 3 including as a part thereof ahood structure 4 enclosing the discharge end by coming both the Smau nodu1es discharged u of the kiln I, The grate 2 is `mounted on a plurality of parallelly extending swingable supports 6 and a reciprocating motion is imparted to the grate 2 by means of a connecting rod 1 having one end thereof pivotally connected with the discharge end of the grate I and having its opposite end pivotally connected with the crank pin 8 on the motor driven wheel 9. The reciprocating movement of the grate 2 causes the clinker to move therealong and onto the grizzly II, through which the small-nodules pass into the conveyor trough-.I2 and over which the large nodules pass onto an apron I3 and then into the motor driven crusher I4. The grizzly II, apron I3 and crusher I4 are preferably disposed within the housing 3, and an enclosed conveyor I6 carries the ne nodules from the trough I2 into the elevated storage bin I1.

The crusher I4 reduces the large nodules to a size commensurate with that of the small nodules passing through the grizzly II, and the crushed material, which is extremely hot since the interior of the large nodules is usually red hot at the time they enter the crusher, then passes into a. conveyor trough I8. An enclosed conveyor I9 carries the crushed material from the trough I8 to the upper end of` an inclined conduit 2|,

and the crushed material then flows downward through the conduit 2| and onto the grate 2 at a point just rearward of a swingable partition member 22 which is pivotally mounted on the interior of lthe housing 3 and which coacts` with the material passing over the grate 2 and divides the space within the housing 3 'and above the' 26. The interior of the conduit 2| is provided adjacent its lower end with a swingable sealing iiap or gate member 29 designed to prevent an appreciable ow of heated air from the final cooling compartment 24 upward into and through the conduit 2| and into the stack 26. A suitable burner 38 extends through the hood structure 4 in a manner to direct its iiame into the discharge end of the kiln I. Fuel is supplied to the burner through the pipe 3l. A blower 32, which has its inlet connected with the nal cooling compartment 24 by means of a pipe 33, delivers heated air under pressure through the pipe 34 and into the burner 3|. lCooling air under pressure is delivered to the space 36 beneath the grate by means of a suitable blower 31.

In operation, hot clinker is discharged from the kiln I onto the adjacent end of the grate 2 and'is moved thereover and onto the grizzly II by the reciprocating movement of the grate 2. The hot clinker is cooled by the relatively cool air which is delivered to the space 36 beneath the grate 2 by the blower 31 and which then passes upward through and in contact with the hot clinker moving over the grate 2. The air entering the precooling compartment 23, which is heated in passing through the hot clinker on the front or receiving end portion of the grate 2, passes through the hood structure 4 and directly into the kiln I in which it functions as secondary air to support combustion therein.

The air entering the final cooling compartment l 24, which is also heated in passing through the ,clinker on the rear or discharge end portion of the grate 2, but to a lesser ldegree than the air entering the precooling chamber 23 since the temperature of the clinker has been reduced in passing through the precooling compartment 23, passes into the stack 26 which exhausts to atmosphere.- Sulcient air is passed through the grate 2 to effect a desired cooling of the small nodules, and the partition 22 is preferably so located that the air entering the compartment 23 is `lust suicient to satisfy combustion requirements. 'I'he relatively cool small nodules pass through the grizzly Il 'and are carried by the conveyor I6 into the storage bin II, 'and the relativelyhot large nodules pass over the grizzly II and -the apron I3 and into the crusher I4 which reduces the large nodules to a. size commensurate with that of the small nodules being delivered to the bin I1. The crushed nodules, which are still relatively hot for the reason previously stated, pass into the trough I8 and conveyor I9 and are carried upward and discharged into the conduit 2I. The crushed nodules flow downward through the conduit 2l andonto the lmass of clinker on the grate 2 at a point whichv is preferably adjacent the rear side of the parti. tion 22.

Consequently, the large nodules which have passed through the precooling and nal cooling compartments and which have been crushed are again passed through the final cooling compartment, thereby further cooling the crushed nodules to a temperature which is commensurate with that attained by the small, uncrushed nodules in passing once-through the precooling and nal cooling compartments. In this connection, the point at which the crushed nodules are discharged into the nal cooling compartment 24 and onto the mass of clinker on that portion of the grate 2 which is disposed comprise a kiln 38, a hood structure 39 surrounding the discharge end of the kiln and arranged to conduct the clinker discharged from the kiln into the adjacent end of a first or preliminary rotary cooler 4I, a second hood structure 42 surrounding the discharge end of the cooler 4I and arranged to conduct the clinker discharged from the cooler 4I into the adjacent end of a second or final rotary cooler 43, a grizzly 44 operatively associated with the discharge end of the cooler 43, an apron 46 for conducting the large nodules passing over said grizzly into a motor driven crusher 41, and a housing 48 enclosing the discharge end of the cooler 43 and the grizzly 44, apron 46 and crusher 41 The small nodules which pass through the grizzly 44, enter the trough 49 and are carried by the enclosed conveyor 50 associated therewith upward and into the storage bin 5I. The large nodules passing over the apron 46 and into the crusher 41 are reduced therein to a size commensurate with that of the small uncrushed nodules passing through the grizzly 44. The crushed nodules are discharged into a. trough 52 and an enclosed conveyor 53 associated therewith carries the crushed nodules upward and into the upper end of an inclined conduit 54, the lower end of which communicates with the hood structure l42. Consequently, the crushed nodules which are discharged from the conveyor 53 into the upper end of the conduitl 54 now downward through the conduit 54 and into the hood structure I2 in which the crushed nodules become mixed with the uncrushed nodules discharged from the preliminary cooler 4I. The mixture of crushed and uncrushed nodules then enters and passes through the cooler 43 and onto the grizzly 44, and the above described separating, crushing and mixing procedure is repeated.

Ii' desired the housing 48 may be provided with a vent stack 56, which includes a damper 51,

' and, if such a stack is employed, it may be desirable to include a pipe 58 which places the upper end of the conduit 54 and the upper end of the enclosed conveyor 53 in communication with the v upper portion of the stack 56. With such an arrangement, it may also bedesirable to provide the conduit 54 with a swingable damper member 59 which is similar to the damper member 29 in conduit 2l of Fig. l. In any event, it is desirable to employ a stack 6I which is operatively associated with the hood structure I2 and which has disposed thereinA a ilow regulating damper 62 so that the quantity of air passing through the cooler 4I can be readily varied simply by changing the position of the damper 62. 'This dampery regulating means can be manipulated so that the air passing through the cooler 4l is just sufiicient to satisfy combustion requirements in the kiln 38 and this mode of operation is generally preferred. The kiln 38 is red by a suitable burner 63 which extends through the hood structure 39 in a manner to direct its flame into the discharge end of the kiln 38. The burner is supplied with a suitable fuel through the pipe 64 and with primary or mixing air under pressure from a suitable source (not shown) through a pipe 66.

The operation of this modified arrangement is substantially identical to that set forth in the description of Fig. 1, and it is thought ,that a further detailed description in this connection is unnecessary for a complete understanding of the invention. However, it` should be particularly noted that this modified arrangement, which renders the invention readily applicable to existing fluid in direct contact with said stream of nodular material for a sumcient distancel to cool the 'l small nodules contained therein tothe desired extent, separating the large nodules from said small nodules, crushing said large nodules to a size commensurate with that of the said small nodules, 'and returning said crushed nodules to that portion of said stream in which the temperature of the said small nodules contained therein is nearly equal to the temperature o! the crushed nodules.

2. The method of cooling the mass of hot nodular material discharged from a kiln and containing different sized nodules which comprises forming a continuous and relatively thin moving bed of said hot nodular material, passing a suitable cooling iluid through a sufficient length of said bed as measured in the direction of its movement tov cool the small nodules contained'in said bed to the desired extent, separating the large.

thereby for a suillcient distance to cool the small nodules contained therein to a predetermined temperature, means operating on the nodular ymaterial discharged from said conveying means to separate the large nodules from the. small nodules, means operating to crush vthe large nodules to a size commensurate with that of said small nodules,`and means operating to return said crushed nodules to said conveying` means at a point at which the temperature of the small nodules contained in a said material is nearly equal to the temperature of the crushed nodules.

series ilow connected rotary coolers arranged to j receive the hot nodular material discharged from said kiln and-through which a cooling iluid ilows in direct contact with the nodular material passing therethrough, means operating on the nodular material discharged from said second cooler taining dilerent sized nodules, and although the invention has been illustrated and described in connection with the type of apparatus peculiarly adapted to cool cement clinker, it should be understood that it is not intended to limit the invention to the exact modes of operation and/or to the exact details of construction herein shown and described, as various modifications within the scope of the appended claims may occur to persons skilled, in the art.

It is claimed and desired to secure by Letters Patent:

1. The method of cooling the mass of hot nodular material discharged from a kiln and containing diierent sized nodules which comprises forming a substantially continuous stream oi! said hot nodular material, passing a suitable cooling to separate the large nodules from the small nodules, means operative to crush the large nodules to a size commensurate with that of said I small nodules, and means operative to conduct said crushed nodules into the material receiving end of said second cooler.

5. In combination'with a kiln, a nodular material conveying means including a grate structure arranged to receive the hot nodular material discharged from said kiln and operative to cause the nodular material to pass thereover, a separator arranged to.receive the nodular material discharged from said grate and operative to separate the small nodules from .the large nodules, a crusher arranged to receive said large nodules and operative to crush same to a size commensurate with that of said small nodules, means enclosing the discharge end of said kiln and said grate, separator and crusher, means coacting with the interior of said enclosing means and the top surface of said grate and dividing the space above said grate into precooling and nal cooling compartments, means operative to cause a cooling iluid to ilow upward through said grate, through the nodular material thereon and into said compartments, and means operative to conduct the crushed nodules into` said iinal cooling compartment and onto said grate at a point remote from the discharge end thereof.

6. 'I'he method of cooling a mass of hot nodular material containing different sized nodules which comprises'passing the mass of hot material `in heat exchanging relation with respect to a suitable cooling medium for a time period suiilcient to cool the small nodules contained therein to a predetermined temperature, separating the large nodules from the lsmall nodules, crushing the large nodules to a size commensurate with that of the Smau nodules, and cooling said crushed nodules to said predeterminedI temperature by combining same with said mass of nodules during only Aa portion of the time said mass is passing in heat exchanging relation with respect to said cooling medium.

7. The method of cooling the mass of hot nodular material'discharged` from a kiln and containing different sized nodules which comprises forming a substantially continuous moving mass of the hot nodular material being discharged from said kiln, ilowing a stream of cooling uid in direct contact with said moving mass of hot material for a distance sufficient to cool the small nodules contained therein to a predetermined temperature, separating the large nodules from said small nodules, crushing said large nodules to a size commensurate with that of the said small nodules, and cooling said crushed nodules to said ipredetermined temperature by combining same with said moving mass at a point remote from the kiln end thereof.

8. The method of cooling the mass of hot nodular material discharged from a kiln and containing diierent sized nodules which comprises forming a substantially continuous moving mass of the hot nodular material being rdischarged nodules to said predetermined temperature by combining same with said moving mass after the temperature of the small nodules contained therein has been partially reduced to said pre.- 1

determined temperature.

10. In combination wltha kiln, a nodular material conveying means arranged to receivelthe hot nodular -material discharged from said kiln and through which a coolingfluid ilows in direct contact with the nodular material being conveyed thereby, means operating 'on the nodular material discharged from-said conveying means to separate the large nodules from the small nodules, means operating to crush the large nodules, and means operating to return the crushed nodules to said conveying means at; a point intermediate the kiln and crusher ends thereof 11. 'I'he method of cooling the mass of hot nodular` material discharged from a kiln and containing different sized nodules which comprises from said kiln, flowing a stream of cooling iluid in direct contact with said moving mass of hot material for a sufllcient distance to cool the small nodules contained therein to a predetermined p temperature, separating the large nodules from said small nodules, crushing said large nodules to a size commensurate with that of the said srnall nodules, and cooling .said crushed nodules to said predetermined temperature by combining same with said moving mass after the temperature of the small nodules contained therein has been partially reduced to said predetermined temperature.

9. 'I'he method of cooling the mass of hot nodular material discharged from a kiln and containing different sized nodules which comprises forming a substantially continuous moving mass of the hot nodular material being discharged from said kiln, flowing cooling uid through said mass for a suillcient distance in the direction of its movement to cool the small nodules contained therein to a predetermined temperature, separating the large nodules from said small nodules, crushing said large nodules.' cooling said crushed forming a substantially continuous moving mass of the hot nodular material being discharged from the kiln, flowing a stream of cooling iluid indirect contact with said moving mass of hot material for a distance sulcient to cool the small nodules contained therein to-a predetermined temperature, separating the large nodules from said small nodules, crushing said large nodules, and cooling said crushed nodules to said predetermined temperature byrepassing same in direct contact with a portion of the cooling fluid flowing in direct contact with the substantially continuous moving mass of hot nodular material discharged from said kiln.

12. In combination with a kiln, a conductor through which the mass of hot nodular material discharged from said kiln passes in a substantially continuous stream, means operative to flow cooling iluid through said stream of material for a suilcient distance in the direction of its movement to cool the small nodules contained therein to a predetermined temperature, means operating on the nodular material discharged from said conductor to separate the large nodules from the small nodules, means operating to crush the large nodules, and means operating to return the crushed nodules to the stream of hot nodular material passing through said conductor at a -point intermediate the kiln and crusher ends thereof.'

13. The method of cooling the mass of hot nodular material discharged from a kiln and containingdifferent sized nodules which comprises causing cooling fluid to now in a substantially continuous stream, passing the mass of hot nodular material discharged from said kiln through- 

